Liberty County, Montana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Eagle Creek Colony and Joplin
Liberty County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Liberty County is home to Chester. Its power plants have 8 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro. Employers here counted 517 jobs in 2025, up 2.8% from 2019. NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT) is the largest utility serving Liberty County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.23¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.95¢ median for Montana utilities. Unemployment was 2.3% in August 2026, against 2.3% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Liberty County
Liberty County is home to Chester.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Eagle Creek Colony, Joplin, Riverview Colony, Sage Creek Colony, Whitlash.
Residents are 2025 Census estimates for the part of each city, town or township inside this county. Census publishes no annual estimate for unincorporated communities.
What changed in Liberty County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Montana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,956 | 1,957 | ▲ 0.1% | 46th of 56 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 503 | 517 | ▲ 2.8% | 31st of 56 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $32,744 | $42,928 | ▲ 31.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.3% | 2.3% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
1,957 people live here, up 0.1% since 2020.
Who powers Liberty County
Utilities with service territory in Liberty County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT) | Investor Owned | Bundled | 328,127 | 14.23¢ | 49% |
| Hill County Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Marias River Electric Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sun River Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 79% |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
Operating power plants 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 8 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiber Dam Hydroelectric Plant | Tiber Montana LLC | Hydro | 8 MW | 2004 |
The Liberty County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 517 | $42,928 | 1.00 |
Concentration is the BLS location quotient: 1.0 means the industry holds the same share of local jobs as it does nationally. Industry rows count private employers; cells BLS suppresses are left out.
Data centers and local rules in Liberty County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Liberty County. Montana has 5 local measures on record statewide.
Liberty County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Liberty County, Toole County carries the most build-out activity: data centers, planned generation and operating plants combined.
| County | Population | Jobs since 2019 | Operating MW | Planned MW | Data centers | Local measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty County | 1,957 | ▲ 2.8% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Chouteau County | 5,865 | ▲ 4.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Hill County | 16,167 | ▲ 0.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Pondera County | 6,072 | ▼ 5.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Toole County | 5,211 | ▼ 5.5% | 399 MW | — | — | — |
More of Montana
Liberty County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Liberty County, Montana?
5 utilities have service territory in Liberty County in the EIA-861 2024 report: NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT), Hill County Electric Coop, Inc, Marias River Electric Coop Inc, Sun River Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT), charged residential customers 14.23¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Liberty County?
1 operating plant with 8 MW of capacity. The largest is Tiber Dam Hydroelectric Plant (8 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Liberty County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Liberty County.
Is Liberty County adding jobs?
Employers counted 517 jobs in 2025 against 503 in 2019 (+2.8%, BLS QCEW).
Does Liberty County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Liberty County. Montana has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.